This application claims the benefit of application 0028143.6 filed Nov. 17, 2000 in Great Britain.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to mail bags, and in particular to hooks for attachment to mail bags for supporting the mail bags in frame fittings.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates, in plan view, a frame 1 for supporting mail bags. The frame 1 is often known as a xe2x80x9cdrop bag fittingxe2x80x9d (DBF) frame, and is usually rectangular or square in plan view. At each internal corner of the frame 1, a locating wire or projection 2 is provided. The locating projections 2 are provided for supporting a mail bag within the frame in such a way that the mail bag is supported in a open position.
FIG. 2 illustrates a mail bag 4 which is suitable for support in the drop bag fitting frame 1 of FIG. 1. The mail bag 4 has a number (in this case 4) of mail bag hooks 5 arranged around its open end. To support the mail bag the hooks 5 are positioned over the locating projections 2 of the frame 1, thereby holding the mail bag 4 in place in the frame.
However, existing designs of mail bag hook 5 are less then ideal. For example, one disadvantage of present designs of hook is that they do not retain the mail bag in place on the locating projections of the frame, particularly before the mail bag is filled with mail. One particular existing design uses horizontal wings which extend along the open edge of the mail bag, which wings engage under the frame 1 to retain the bag 4 in place. However, to release these wings can take a considerable effort and operators sometimes find that the hook section molded to the wing section breaks under the load. This then leaves a sharp end section of plastic which has caused injury to operators.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a mail bag hook which can overcome the drawbacks of the presently considered hooks and that provides secure location of a mail bag on the frame, while still allowing relatively straight forward removal of the hook from the projection.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hook for mail bag, the hook comprising a retaining portion for attachment to a region of the mail bag adjacent to an open end thereof, the retaining portion extending substantially perpendicular to the open end of the mail bag, and a suspension ring which extends from the retaining portion and defines an aperture through which a locating projection can be inserted, wherein the hook is provided with a resilient potion which extends in the aperture of the hook, such that in use, the portion is deflected.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hook for a mail bag, the hook comprising a planar attachment portion for attachment to a mail bag, the attachment portion defining a longitudinal axis, a planar supporting portion which extends from the attachment portion in the direction of the longitudinal axis and which is planar with the attachment portion, the supporting portion defining an aperture therethrough, and a retaining portion which extends in the plane of the supporting portion and which partially occludes the aperture of he supporting portion, the retaining portion being resiliently deformable out of the plane of the supporting portion.